Welcome to Paradise?

On Rassadapier in Phuket, you can get a ferry ticket to the small island of Koh Phi Phi for 600 baht (~28€). After a short 2-hour ride, you will find yourself on a pirate island with steep cliffs, jungle, and turquoise water. However, the dream of a mysterious island fades away once you arrive at the ferry terminal. There is a horde of people running around in the narrow alleys. Restaurants, bars, and hotels are everywhere, charging roughly double the prices compared to the rest of Thailand. Even the well-known 7-11 supermarket increases its prices here. The Loh Dalam Beach is near our hotel. The sand is not as fine, but you can still relax on the beach and enjoy the great view. You have to be careful in the afternoon as the water recedes and exposes rocks. The tranquility is also disturbed by the beach bars, which start their pool parties at noon. In the evenings, this region transforms into a party street. All guesthouses, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, and street vendors sell alcohol in buckets. You can attend a pool party or play beer pong on the beach. There is a deafening noise all night long. This is not our idea of a dream island in Thailand. However, for those who want to escape this tourist scene, there are some options:

If you have enough money, you should look for a hut in a secluded resort. The beaches here are not as crowded, and you can enjoy peace and quiet in the evenings.

For everyone else, spend the day on another beach.

We went on a snorkeling day tour with a longtail boat:

We started with breakfast, consisting of toast (without a toaster), jam, rice with chicken, and salad. Then we went to Monkey Beach. Monkeys live on the beach here. Visitors can feed the animals, but be careful with your belongings and do not provoke the monkeys. We didn't feel very comfortable here.

Next, we went to Shark Point. According to the organizer, you can see sharks or turtles here, but that is very rare. Instead, you can enjoy a fantastic underwater world - coral reefs and colorful fish. On the way to Bamboo Island, you can admire the quieter side of Phi Phi with small coves and jungle all around while enjoying the (very minimalistic) lunch. Once you arrive at the small island, a beautiful sandy beach awaits you. You have to walk a short distance to escape the crowds of arriving boats, but then you will have a peaceful spot for yourself. There is also a wonderful underwater world to explore here, if you can avoid the many boats. Mosquito Island has been removed from the itinerary as the coral reefs have already been damaged by tourists. Our last stop on Koh Phi Phi Don is Nui Bay, where we can snorkel once again. We discovered a small underwater cave with a giant school of fish.

We then went to Koh Phi Phi Leh, the smaller and uninhabited neighboring island. This is where the famous Maya Bay from the movie 'The Beach' is located. We arrived relatively late at this beach, and yet it was still packed. The sand is incredibly fine, the water crystal clear, and the surrounding nature is breathtaking. If you want, you can swim to a slightly smaller beach that is not as crowded. On the way back, we passed by the Viking Cave. If you have time, you should definitely visit the cave inhabited by sea gypsies. Before returning to the pier, we can watch the sunset over the sea. The tour was quite expensive at 650 baht + 400 baht national park fee (~30€), and it was sometimes touristy, but definitely worth it. You get to see paradisiacal beaches and a fantastic underwater world. If you are traveling in a larger group, you can also charter a longtail boat with a driver to explore the islands more individually.

The next day, we first made our way to the viewpoint. Here you have to decide whether to take the 10-minute route (which goes past the Koh Phi Phi Viewpoint Resort) or the 40-minute route. However, the signs do not indicate which is which. Therefore, we accidentally chose the long one. It was a great nature trail in the heat but very exhausting. Once you reach the top, you have a beautiful view of the bays of Phi Phi (note that if you come in the afternoon, you will not have such a great view due to low tide)! There are two more viewpoints. Both are marked with signs. ViewPoint 3 is recommended for sunrise or sunset. After that, we took a longtail boat to Phag Nam Bay. It's a quieter bay with a resort. There is a beautiful beach with a great jungle backdrop. Apart from the few resort guests, there are hardly any day tourists here. That's why the bay is not as crowded (although you won't be alone either). There is a restaurant where non-hotel guests are also welcome. If you brought your snorkel, you can admire the beautiful coral reef. (Be careful, we encountered fish that bit). We returned via a jungle trail. From the resort, there is a small footpath through the forest to Viewpoint 2 (it takes about 30 minutes, and wearing sturdy shoes is much better) and offers great views of the sea. Once you reach it, you will encounter another crowd of people - everyone is watching the sunset behind the mountains of Phi Phi (it is better to walk another 5 minutes to Viewpoint 3).

Our conclusion: It is not without reason that this dream island is so popular among tourists. Even though we do not understand the binge-drinking tourism here, we really liked Koh Phi Phi. If you are aware that you have to pay more for food, hotels, and tours compared to the rest of Thailand and if you seek out your own quiet spots, you will enjoy the island. We would have liked to discover more bays, but unfortunately, we ran out of time. Viewpoint 2 and Bamboo Island are definitely recommended. The beautiful Maya Bay is a must-see, even though it can get very crowded there.